Herbal & Flower Teas
Longan and Sour-Jujube-Seed Tea
Traditionally calms the mind and supports restful sleep
Why people make this tea
Bro Niu often hears from older folks who simply cannot get a good night’s rest. In the traditional view, when the heart’s nourishment runs thin or a little internal heat keeps stirring the mind, sleep turns light and broken, the heart flutters, and memory slips. This simple tea brings together longan, sour jujube seed and foxnut — ingredients long used to quiet the spirit and settle a busy mind before bed.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits adults (and children, in smaller amounts) bothered by light sleep, palpitations, forgetfulness and a tired, fuzzy feeling tied to blood being a little under-nourished.
- Longan is warming and drying; some practitioners advise pregnant women to avoid it, to prevent building up internal heat. People who already run hot or feel feverish should go easy.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Longan flesh (gui yuan rou): traditionally nourishes the blood and calms the spirit; a classic ingredient for poor sleep linked to a tired heart.
- Stir-fried sour jujube seed (chao zao ren): long associated with quieting the mind and supporting sleep; stir-frying brings out its character.
- Foxnut (qian shi): traditionally supports the spleen and kidney, which the source links to steadier nerves and fewer night-time disturbances.
Ingredients (2 cups)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried longan flesh (gui yuan rou) | ~15 g (4 qian) | |
| Stir-fried sour jujube seed (chao zao ren) | ~15 g (4 qian) | |
| Foxnut (qian shi) | ~38 g (1 tael) | |
| Water | 5 bowls | reduce to 2 |
Method
- Rinse all the ingredients.
- Add 5 bowls of water and simmer down to 2 bowls.
- Drink in place of tea through the day.
Bro Niu’s tips
This tea is also traditionally helpful for men troubled by night-time leakage (seminal emission) and for people who get up often to urinate at night.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Lilian, ~8 months pregnant): People say longan helps sleep, so why do some say pregnant women should not eat it — yet after birth, during the “doing the month” period, longan (with red dates and dang shen) is used to make a tonic water? Bro Niu: Longan can help with sleep, but because it is warming and drying, some Chinese-medicine practitioners advise against it in pregnancy, to avoid stirring up internal heat. After delivery, though, a new mother is “empty in all the channels” and badly needs to rebuild blood — and that is exactly when longan suits best.
- Q (Candy Hung): Can an 11-year-old drink this tea? My little girl is forgetful — would it help? Bro Niu: Yes, your daughter can drink this tea.
- Q (angel): With a uterine fibroid, should one avoid longan and red dates? Bro Niu: With a uterine fibroid you can still eat longan and red dates, but avoid hormone-rich foods such as bird’s nest, hashima and placenta, so as not to stimulate the fibroid to grow.
Published October 29, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
